Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It |
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COVID-19 Updates
myturn.ca.gov opened on February 4 for residents to register to be notified when they qualify to be vaccinated and then schedule their appointment on the website. MyTurn also has a clinic portal for providers to create vaccine clinics and get administrative support for vaccine administration. In the near future, a volunteer module will be integrated so that vaccine providers can request volunteer support, and volunteers can register to be notified of upcoming opportunities and sign up to volunteer at a clinic.
Health organizations in California have formed a consortium (which includes the California Medical Association) to form vaccination hubs. The hubs will offer vaccinations 7 days a week by appointment only, and each site will be capable of administering up to 10,000 doses per day.
CDPH is holding weekly “office hours” to provide an update on COVID-19 vaccination planning and allow providers in the state to ask questions, on Fridays from 9-10 am. The February 12 session can be accessed through this link or by calling (415) 655-0001. The event number is: 145 305 3168. The password is: Immunize2021!
Contra Costa Health Services reports that, as of February 4, it has given almost 152,800 vaccinations (first and second doses) with a 7-day rolling average of 4,836 per day. As of February 4, ICU capacity in the county is at 25% with 174 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
Alameda County reports that it has received over 172,000 doses as of February 5. As of February 4, ICU capacity in the county is at 19% with 302 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
The City of Berkeley has received 4,800 doses and given over 3,000 vaccinations to healthcare workers and residents 75 and over who are not being vaccinated through their employer or health care provider, as of February 4.
Alameda and Contra Costa counties remain in the Purple Tier. Statewide ICU capacity increased to 11.7%.
CMA's COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Center can be accessed here.
The ACCMA and the California Medical Association (CMA) are continuing to provide PPE directly to medical practices in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, by going to this link. A two-month supply of N95 masks, surgical masks, isolation gowns, face shields, goggles, coveralls, and hand sanitizers may be ordered. Vinyl gloves are out of stock until further notice. If approved, orders are shipped directly to medical offices. Only shipping and handling fees are charged for each individual case shipped. For groups with multiple offices, a separate order must be completed for each location. Please contact the ACCMA at accma@accma.org or (510) 654-5383 for more information.
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Are You Ready for the New "Information Blocking" Rule?
The federal information blocking rule, issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), takes effect on April 5, 2021. CMA is hosting a one-hour webinar—Federal Information Blocking Rules: What Physicians Need to Know—on February 18, to help physicians understand the components of this new rule and steps they should take to come into compliance. The rule, called for under the 21st Century Cures Act, is intended to enable more widespread access, use and exchange of patient data. It will, with some exceptions, prohibit any action defined as “information blocking” by physicians, hospitals, and health information technology vendors.
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Telehealth Resource Center
CMA has launched a Telehealth Resource Center, which compiles the best available resources to help physicians implement and utilize telehealth in their practices. These resources have been thoroughly vetted by CMA to present only the most relevant resources. Resources can be sorted by category, topic, type and source to help physicians find the tools that address the specific issues they are facing. New resources will be added to this center regularly, so please check back often for updates.
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Save the Date for CMA's Legislative Advocacy Conference, April 5-9
The ACCMA will be meeting virtually with state legislators on priority health care issues the week of April 5 to 9. Before these meetings, attendees will receive a virtual training on CMA’s current legislative priorities and policy issues affecting the practice of medicine. This is a unique event for ACCMA physician members, residents, and medical students to join their colleagues as they prepare to lobby their legislative leaders and serve as champions for the house of medicine. If you are interested in joining the ACCMA delegation, contact David Lopez, Associate Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, at (510) 654-5383, ext. 6320 or dlopez@accma.org.
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What We're Reading and Watching
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Tuesday, February 9 | 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Members and non-members: FREE | Presented by AMA & the COVID Collaborative
The American Medical Association is part of COVID Collaborative, a national assembly that has brought together leading organizations in health, education, and the economy to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. COVID Collaborative is hosting a Fireside Chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, which will be a discussion between Dr. Fauci and the co-chairs of the COVID Collaborative, former Governors Deval Patrick (D-MA) and Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID). This will be one of Dr. Fauci’s first appearances as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, and he will answer questions about how the new administration is approaching the crisis. After the initial discussion, there will be a moderated Q&A during which time you can ask Dr. Fauci questions through the chat function.
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Tuesday, February 9 | noon - 1:30 PM
FREE | CME Available | Presented by CMA
As the vaccine rollout continues, COVID-19 variants that may be more transmissible have become increasingly common across the globe and have already been found in California. The race is on; now, we move to stem the tide of this deadly virus before it becomes resistant to current vaccines. Join us to hear from Bechara Choucair, MD, White House Vaccinations Coordinator; Erica Pan, MD and Debra Wadford, PhD from the California Department of Public Health, who will update us on the status of vaccine rollout and the latest epidemiology of the virus and its variants. They will also present tips and practical strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy in health care providers and others. Moderated by Kimberly Newell Green, MD, Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF.
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Thursday, February 18 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM
Members and Members' Staff (with promo code): FREE | Non-members: $99 | Presented by CMA
The federal information blocking rule, issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, takes effect on April 5, 2021. This rule will, with some exceptions, prohibit any action defined as information blocking by physicians, hospitals, and health IT vendors. Join this webinar to learn about the components of this new rule and steps physicians should take to come into compliance.
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Wednesday, February 24 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM
Members and Non-members: FREE | Presented by CMA
Just in case you missed it, we will cover the Medicare updates for this year and answer questions regarding the new evaluation and management (E/M) coding guidelines. Covered topics include:
- Telehealth and other communications technology
- New CMS E/M 2021 guidelines
- Noridian documentation changes
- Medicare Part B issues
Speakers: Cheryl Bradley, Associate Director, CMA Center for Economic Services and Arthur N. Lurvey, MD, FACP, FACE, Contractor Medical Director, Noridian Healthcare Solutions
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Tuesday, February 25 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Members and Non-members: FREE | CME Available - free for members; $99 for non-members
This is a four-hour online training for qualified prescribers (including physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants) to receive half of the 8 hours of training required to obtain a MAT waiver for treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
Speaker: Kenneth Saffier, MD, FASAM, is a family physician at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center's Family Medicine Residency program. He specializes in addiction medicine and chronic pain management, and is board certified in family and addiction medicine. He is president of the Medical Education and Research Foundation for the Treatment of Addiction (www.merfweb.org).
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ACCMA's On-Demand Library
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Adaptive Leadership and Trust in Times of Crisis, with Claire-Cecile Pierre, MD (with CME)
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Trust, Governance, and Change in Times of Crisis, with Arpana Vidyarthi, MD (with CME)
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Strategy and Adaptation in Times of Crisis, with Read Pierce, MD (with CME)
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Communication in Times of Crisis, with Niraj Sehgal, MD (with CME)
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Please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or accma@accma.org with any questions or concerns you have.
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